Internal-combustion engine lubrication system



Sept. 8, 1931. A, A, WOODWARD 1,821,999

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE LUBRICATION SYSTEM Filed March 13, 1931 [illPatented Sept. 8, 1931 PATENT OFFICE .ARTHUR A. WOODWARD, 0F DETROIT,MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO SKINNER morons, me;I

0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE INTERNAL-COMBUSTIONENGINE LUBRICATION SYSTEM Application led March 13; 1931. Serial No.522,265.'

In sliding-valve internal-combustion engines, such as those of theKnight type employing interfitting, telescoping sleevevalves and thoseof the style using reciprocatory, semicircular or arcuate valves, meanshave heretofore been provided for withdrawing the excess lubricant fromthe valves by suction derived from the engine intake-manifold, the air,gases and vapors accompanying or incident to such lubricant flowingthrough such manifold into the engine where they are consumed, theremaining oil, more or less puriied, being returned to the lubricantsupply in the engine crank-case.

The present invention relates to improved means for returning suchwithdrawn lubricant to the crank-case or other lubricantsupplycompartment and comprises a pump and its associated operating means forremoving the oil from a chamber which `is under sub-atmospheric pressureand delivering it into the crank-case or other receptacle underatmospheric pressure. e

To permit those skilled in this art to fully and completely understandthe invention 'and the advantages accruing from its employment, in theaccompanying drawings I have illustrated a present, preferred embodimentof the invention, and throughout the views thereof like referencenumerals have been used to designate the same structural parts, but inconsidering this ph sical embodiment of the invention it is to be ornein mind that this is presented by way of example only, and Athat theinvention, as stated in the appended claims, is susceptible of a varietyof satisfactory embodiments and that many more or/less major or minorchanges or modifications may be made in the structure illustratedwithout departure from the essential principles of the invention andwithout the sacrifice of any of its substantial advantages.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a fragmentary, vertical section through theinternal-combustion engine showing the oil pump and its actuating means;

Figure 2 is a smaller, similar view showing1 the pump parts in adifferent position; an

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on line 3 3 v of Figure l. -1 Referringto the views of these drawings, it will be perceived that themulti-cylinder casting 11 of theengine has at one side a chamber or oilreceptacle 12 formed as a part of it, such chamber having a pair ofvertical webs or division wallsl, 14 which reach from the top of thechamber down to a point near its bottom wall or floor 15, so that suchwalls divide the chamber into three upright compartments 16, 17 and 18in direct communication with one another at their lower portions.

By horizontal conduits'19 and 20, connecting with the upper parts of theend compartments 16 and 18, the latter areljkoined by such passages andtheir cylinder ports 2.1, l21 with the interior of the several cylinders22, 22 of the engine of which' only a part have been shown.

In such cylinders, the arcuate or curved valves 23, 23 reciprocatebetween the outer cylinders and stationary, inner cylinders 24, 24located therein and spaced inwardly from the outer cylinders, all as isclearly illustrated. r

In these drawings, the means for operating the valves and forwithdrawing their excess of oil has been shown in connection with onlyone sliding valve of each pair, but, it is to be understood, thatsimilar or like means are or may be used for such companion valves.

The middle compartment 17 of the chamber is connected by a conduit orpipe 25 with the intake-manifold of the engine, so that suction isapplied through the cylinder-ports 21, 21 to the reciprocating valves todraw off or extract their extra or surplus lubricant to prevent itsfinding access to the interior of the cylinders through the valve ports.

w Thus the applied suction draws the excess oil into the bottom ofchamber 12, the accompanying or associated air, gas, and vapors flowingon under the suction action into the intake-manifold and enginecylinders for economical combustion or consumption in the latter, thedivision walls 13, 14acting in the nature of barriers or bailespreventing any of the oil proper from passing over with the air andgases into the engine.

Chamber 12 at its lower partI has an inclined discharge-passage 26connecting at its lower end with an uprlght passage 27 closed at its topat 28 by a disc and opening at its bottom into a bearing 29 in which thepump oscillates.

Such a pump comprises a cylinder 30 rocking in the specified bearing andhaving a transverse, cylindrical cavity 31 open at one end, with anadmission-port 32 at about the middle point of its length and reachingto its exterior surface, and with a discharge-port 33 at its otherwiseclosed end extending to its outer curved surface.

The pump structure which may be bolted at 34, 34, in the position shown,over an aperture through the side wall of the engine crank-case alsoincludes a bent delivery conduit 35 connectingr the cylindrical bearingcavity 29 with the interior of the crank-case.

A plunger 36 fits and reciprocates in such cylindrical space 31 andprojects a substantial distance out of the open end thereof, itsterminal portion being pivoted or hinged at 37 to the connecting-rod 38joining the rotary valve-operating crank or eccentric shaft 39 with` oneof the sliding valves 23, it being understood that a number of suchValves are reciprocated by the shaft which is common to all of them andwhich is rotated at the proper speed in the customary manner bymechanism not necessary to depict because it is we-ll understood in theart.

The surplus oil delivered into chamber 12, even though the latter is atsub-atmospheric pressure by reason of the suction exerted through thepipe 25, flows by gravity down the connected passages 26 and 27 and 1ntothe rocking port 32 of the oscillatory cylinder 30.

The movements of the valve-actuating connecting-rod 38 reciprocate theplunger 36, and, as the latter approaches the end of its backwardstroke, as shown in Figure 1, it uncovers and opens the inlet-port 32while the latter is in communication with the passage 27, and the oilfiows into the cylinder 31 in advance of the end of the plunger, thedischarge-port 33 at this time being closed because it is out ofregister or communication with the delivery passage 35.

Obviously, due to the up and down travel of the end of the plungerhinged at 37 to the connecting-rod, as the plunger is lengthwisereciprocated it is also rocked up and down, causing a like turning orswinging of the cylinder member 30, which operation is employed for theautomatic opening and closing of the ports at the proper time.

The cylinder 31 having received its charge of oil, the plunger 36advances and soon closes port 32, and, during its further forwardtravel, it rocks the member 30 bringing port 33 into communication withthe stationary passage 35, whereby during the remainder of the advanceof the'plunger, the latter eX- pels the oil in cylinder 31 through theopen port 33 and conduit 35 into the engine crankcase (see Figure 2).

As the plunger recedes with the accompanying swinging of the cylinder,port 33 is soon disconnected from passage 35, so that during thecontinued retraction of the plunger it creates a partial vacuum in itscylinder, and, when it again opens port 32, the oil is drawn into thecylinder by reason of the vacuum condition therein, regardless of thesub-atmospheric pressure condition in chamber 12.

The cylinder having thus received another load of oil, the plunger againadvances with a repetition of the functions and results above stated.

Thus the oil is intermittently removed from the chamber, which is underreduced atmospheric pressure, and returned to the crank-case in whichatmospheric pressure prevails.

I claim:

1. In an internal-combustion engine, the combination of a valve, meansto operate said valve, a pump member having an internal bearing andinlet and discharge passages connecting with said bearing, a cylindricalmember oscillatory in said bearing and having a cylindrical chamber withinlet and delivery ports co-operating with said inlet and dischargepassages, a plunger reciprocatoryin said cylindrical chamber, meansconnecting said plunger with said valve operating means to reciprocateand to rock said plunger, thereby eiecting the oscillation of saidcylindrical member, said inlet-port being opened and closed by thereciprocations of said plunger and said exhaustport being opened andclosed by the oscillations of said member, and means to withdraw excessoil from the engine and to deliver it into said inlet-passage, wherebythe pump will receive the oil through said inlet-port and deliver itthrough said discharge-port and passage.

2. In an internal-combustion engine, the combination of a sliding valve,means to reciprocate said valve, a pump member having an internalbearing and inlet and discharge passages connecting with said bearing, acylindrical member oscillatory insaid bearing and having a cylindricalchamber with inlet and-delivery ports co-operating with said inletanddischarge passages, a plunger reciprocatory in said cylindricalchamber, means connecting said plunger with said valve reciprocatingmeans to reciprocate and rock said plunger, thereby eecting theoscillation of said cylindrical member, said inlet-port being opened andclosed by the reciprocations of said plunger and said exhaust-port beingopened and closed by the oscillations of said member, and means towithdraw excess oil from said valve and to deliver it into saidinlet-passage, whereby the pump will receive the oil through saidinlet-port and deliver it through said discharge-port and passage.

3. In an internal-combustion engine, the combination of a sliding valve,means to reciprocate said valve, a pump member having an internalbearing and inlet and discharge passages connecting with said bearing, acylindrical member oscillatory in said bearing and having a cylindricalchamber with inletand delivery ports co-operating with said inlet anddischarge passages, a plunger reciprocatory in said cylindrical chamber,means connecting said plunger with said valve reciprocating means toreciprocate and rock said plunger, thereby effecting the oscillation ofsaid cylindrical member, said inlet-port being opened and closed by thereciprocations of said plunger and said exhaust-port being opened andclosed by the oscillations of said member, a chamber, suction means towithdraw excess oil from said valve into said chamber, and a conduitconnecting the lower portion of said chamber with said inlet-passage.

4. In an internal-combustion engine, the combination of a sliding valve,means to reciprocate said valve, a pump member having an internalbearing and inlet and 'discharge passages connecting with said bearing,a cylindrical member oscillatory in said bearing and having acylindrical chamber with inlet and delivery ports co-operating with saidinlet and discharge passages, a plunger reciprocatory in saidcylindrical chamber, means connecting said plunger with said valvereciprocating means to reciprocate and rock said plunger, therebyeffecting the oscillation of said cylindrical member, said inlet-portbeing opened and closed by the reciprocations of said plunger and saidexhaust-port being opened and closed by the oscillations of said member,a chamber, means connecting said chamber with the engine inLtake-manifold to apply suction to said chainber, conduit meansconnecting said chamber with said valve, and a condilit connecting thelower portion of said chamber with said inlet-passage. y

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand. c

ARTHUR A. WODWRD.

